The long-awaited air route directly from Kazakhstan to the USA is something that news outlets, including Kazakhstan Today, are reporting today as ‘moving closer’, as a number of key requirements have now been met.
The project is by no means new. In May 2023, then CEO of Air Astana, Peter Foster, was asked about the launch of the New York flight, to which he replied that it was a definite plan. Later on the Ministry of Transport explained that the manufacturers were also critical to the plans.
“To launch the direct flight, it is necessary for Air Astana to receive a Boeing aircraft. The delivery timelines depend on the manufacturer. The delivery of the first aircraft has been postponed by the manufacturer to July 2026.”
Earlier in 2026, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, while in the USA, met with Boeing executives to discuss cooperation in the areas of civil aviation, cargo transport, and workforce development, while also getting confirmation of the delivery to Air Astana of new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
Once received, this will allow the two countries to open direct flights, enabling Kazakhstan to further its plan of becoming a major regional transport hub. But according to Kazakhstan Today, opening the route depends on a number of other factors, including the decision of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to award Category 1 status. This would mean that Kazakhstan’s state aviation safety oversight system is compliant with ICAO standards.
This alone would not guarantee that the route will operate, as there are various regulations on the ground that the airline would need to demonstrate it can meet in full.
However, following an assessment of Kazakhstan’s aviation safety oversight system led by the FAA from 21-25 September, including a meeting on 24 September at Air Astana in Astana, their experts shared their preliminary findings. It was reported that:
Good results were achieved in a number of areas, demonstrating Kazakhstan’s significant progress and strong political commitment to ensuring aviation safety.
Boeing executive Jeff Shockey believes that Kazakhstan offers enormous transit potential. The prospect of linking Central Asia directly with the United States is likely to increase this exponentially, not only by means of the anticipated route, but also because other domestic carriers are seeking to expand their own service. According to The Caspian Post on 20 February:
SCAT Airlines is also considering purchasing additional Boeing aircraft and is exploring plans to establish its first maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) centre at Shymkent Airport in partnership with the American aerospace giant.
Tickets are not yet on sale, nor for the anticipated flights to Switzerland, but given the encouraging developments in September 2026, many Kazakhstanis are starting to make plans.
